Steam shovel safety attachment



June 23, 1,931. INGHAM 1,811,581-

STEAM SHOVEL SAFETY ATTACHMENT Filed July 25. 1929 z'sheets-sneet 1 Fly-J.

v Inventor George 2?. Inyham June 23, 19,31. lNGHAM 1,811,581

STEAM SHOVEL SAFETY ATTACHMENT Filed July 2 3. 1929 ZSheets-Sheet 2 In venior George R .fnyham A iiomey PatentedjJune 1931 E *PA-T N ICE J Y EOR E in Application filed m 23, 1929. Serial nonss sia j The present invention relates to a safety attachment for steam shovels to protect the workmen from injury by chains breaking during the operation of the shovel.

.5 An important object of the invention resides in the provision of an attachment of this nature which is exceedingly simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install, thoroughly eflicient and reliable in use, and otherwise welladaptedto the purpose for which it is designed.

' lVith the above and numerous'other. objects in view as will appearas the description proceeds, the invention resides in certain novel 1 features of construction, and in the combination and arrangement ofparts as will be'hereinafter more fully describedand claimed.

In the drawings: t Figure l'is a fragmentary side elevation of a steam shovel showing my improved attachment mounted thereon, v

Figure 2 is a'perspective view of the chain guard, 3 v

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the chain guide, and j Figure 4 is a side elevation thereof.

Referring to the drawings in detail it will be seen that thechain guard is denoted generally by the numeral 8 andcomprises a ver- 7 tical section a with an obliquely inclined extension 6. This chain guard 8. is of'channel formation and is adapted. to be bolted, riveted or otherwise fastened as at 14 to sheave supports 13. V j g 1 .nThevextension b is attached to the sheave supports by suitable fastening means through plates 0. V c

The chain guide is denoted generally by the numeral 9 and comprises'a' tubular body flared outwardly at its forward end. This tubular body formed of an upper section 03 and. a lower section ,6. These'seetions are fastened together by means of .bolts 30 through openings iniangle iron 31 permanently riveted to the meeting edgesof the sections d and'e.

Thechain guide is fastenedto theboom engine 16 by suitable bolts passing through 0 openings 18 and 18' formed in arms 19 and 5 'back or over thechain guard 9 and hit either' operator before the same has time to go 20 respectively which are fastened to the section e in any-suitable manner and a brace rod 21' is fastened tothese arms 19. and 20 to extend diagonally therebetween. 7 1 i In normal'operation the dipper -1 is raise by chain 2 that runs over sheaves 3,7,4 and 5 :45

and also block'fi andis woundon some suitable 'meehanism the cab .7. i 'The chain 2 breaks occasionally for obvious reasons, such as too heavy a load on the (not shown)" situated inside dipper 1.- When the chain, guard 8 andthe chain guide 9 are not installedandthe chain .2-breaks at anyplacev at the right of: sheave 3,'t.he'lo ose end will fiop over sheave 3 andis liable to strike either the dipper operator'who is-seated onstool 10 or the shovel operator who is seated on the stool 11 causing them 1n ury. v

When the chain guard 8 is installed and the chain 2 breaks at any place between the 1 "sheave 3 and point 12,'the loose end is prevented from striking either the operator by the chain guard 8 but if the. chain 2 breaks at point 12 or beyond, the loose end is apt to flop through the chain guard 8. p t

, Whenboth the chain guard 8 and the chain guide 9 are installed and the chain breaks at 1 any point beyond 12, the loose end is prevent- '8 ed from-flopping back and striking either operator, as the chain 2 guides the loose end'of' Z thechain through the chain guard 8 and will not let it flop over the chain guard 8. The f chain'guard 8 should be constructed of heavy material that will absorb the heavy impact when the broken chain strikes it. The chain guard 8 can readily be taken off by removing I bolt 14 so that the sheave 3 can be removed or repaired. 7 r .7 V

The chain guard 9' is also made of heavy material to stand the sudden impactin case the broken chains hit it.

" It is thought that the construction, utility and advantages ofthis inventionwill'now be vquite apparent to those skilled in this art without a-moredetailed description thereof. v The present embodiment of the invention has been disclosedrin considerable detail merely for the purposes of exemplification 3 since in actual practice it attains the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description.

It will be apparent that changes in the details of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new is: r I

In a steam shovel, the combination with the boom, sheaves at the ends of the boom, and a hoist chain passing over said sheaves, of a pair of relatively spaced chain guards, one of said guards being of elongated channel section and fastened to a lower sheave support and of substantially L-shape for covering the inner side of the sheave and lower portion of the hoist chain and the other guard consisting of a relatively short tube fastened to the boom in spaced relation to the lower sheave support and encircling the portion of the hoist chain immediately above the 1 lower sheave, said tubular guard being flanged outwardly at its upper end.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature.

GEORGE R. INGHAM. 

